


[fifteen] birds of a feather

by windowsyll



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Explicit Language, Headcanon, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pre-Game Personalities (New Dangan Ronpa V3), Tsumugi Shirogane uses 'plain' a lot, spoilers for v3
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-13
Updated: 2018-06-13
Packaged: 2019-04-22 03:37:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,947
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14299935
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/windowsyll/pseuds/windowsyll
Summary: [Trying to update at least once a month! Some stuff has been happening, sorry for delays.]Danganronpa's biggest fangirl (and plainly, their most obsessed employee) Shirogane Tsumugi looks over the final fourteen audition tapes for the show's upcoming season, brainstorming ideas to make this season the best one yet.





	1. Mastermind

**Author's Note:**

> Hihihi so this is my first fanfic on here! Or in general, really. Feel free to point out errors or ideas for future chapters! As I'm new to this, I'll have to get used to consistently updating, so bear (upupupu!) with me. Enjoy!
> 
> Also, many of these audition tapes might be based on other people's guesses and interpretations of these characters, so if you see something familiar, that might be the case!

There was nothing that Shirogane Tsumugi loved more than _Danganronpa_ , the hit reality TV series that had taken the world by storm.

 

Or, at least, it had when season 22 aired. That was when they had started using real teenagers as actors.

 

Season 31 was when it had gotten _really_ controversial, as not only had they started killing off the participants, but the show had begun to air internationally, with subtitles in over 20 languages and 50 countries.

 

By Season 52, _Danganronpa_ aired in over 100 countries and translations for 50 languages were available.

 

Shirogane had fallen in love with the franchise when she was only 11, and she had been a devoted follower since. This was rather normal, as it wasn’t surprising for someone as young as 10 to be a fan.

 

Somehow, this show hadn’t been taken down for, well, the gruesome and bloody murders that occurred between teenagers. Well, technically, they were between the ages of 16 and 19. That was plainly good enough.

 

Season 53, however, would be different. Different seasons had different backstories, with Enoshima Junko (Shirogane’s _favorite_ person, whom she plainly loved more than herself) appearing in the finale in some way, shape, or form.

 

That’s how the game worked. But for her past three years as an intern for _Danganronpa_. Shirogane had pulled some strings and she was now scheduled to be a participant for Season 53.

 

Besides that, the higher-ups had also recognized her clearly tremendous talent, and allowed her to give some input for the plot of the show.

 

And boy, this season was plainly going to be _controversial_.

 

She selected a folder on her work laptop containing 14 files that had been handpicked by her and the twenty or so staff who interviewed the hundreds of auditionees who had applied.

 

The participants had already been chosen, but it was plain to see that she should rewatch their audition tapes to get character writing ideas (not that she didn't have any, though). She had to make sure that this season stood out.

 

With a giddy, obsessed smile that no sane person should be able to make, the soon-to-be Ultimate Cosplayer clicked on the first video in the folder.

 

Ah, _Danganronpa_ was plainly amazing. Unique, too! Because everyone knew that anyone who auditioned either wanted to die, or to survive and win a ton of money and publicity.

 

Shirogane was content with either outcome for herself, plainly. She jumped in her seat as the video started playing, and her eyes glued themselves to the screen.

  
**“Number 83. My name is XXXX."**


	2. Cultist

_“Number 83. My name is XXXX. I'm sixteen years old!_

 

_“...That’s all I’m required to say, right? I can say whatever I’d like n-_

 

_“Ah, ok. Thank you!”_

 

Shirogane didn’t pay much attention to the actual participants that were chosen (such plain, ordinary, _worthless_ , perfect stepping stones for- no wait, that sounded too much like Komaeda). They didn’t matter as people, after all. Those teenagers had donated their bodies as perfect little puppets for the greater good.

 

The only ones who mattered was the characters that they would become- no, the characters that _she_ would write.

 

Hah, as if anyone cared about who they were now. Shirogane was plainly just thinking of ideas for the next season, so it was important that she watched these videos.

 

 _“Well…  I want to join_ Danganronpa _to make sacrifices for God! Just kidding! I don’t believe in God. I grew up near a coast east of here, in a village where everyone believes in Him. Except for me, of course!_

 

_“So they made me audition for this killing game… not that I mind, though! They say that I have to die because I am their offering to God, as an atonement for me being an unbeliever!_

 

While initially not paying too much attention, Tsumugi now leaned closer to the screen. What sort of village did she come from? Not that it was surprising. In a world that worshipped a show like _Danganronpa_ , it was no surprise that some crazy people would want to send some sort of sacrifice to appease their god.

 

_“Oh, you want me to explain more? Well, every year, one of our people who is between the ages of sixteen and sixty gets to be sacrificed for God! Our elders choose who will receive punishment based upon who has pleased God the least. The elders wanted me to die sooner- well, I’m not supposed to know that, but it’s easy to see that their hearts burn with holy hate! Everyone knows that I don’t believe in God, but how am I supposed to believe in someone that isn’t real?_

 

 _“If God was real, this world would be a better place, and there would be no more killings! Ah, if I don’t get in, maybe the elders will spare me! Just kidding~ Everyone in our village would do_ anything _to please their God._

 

Through her few years as a _Danganronpa_ addict, and her hundreds of character analyses that she had constructed, Shirogane knew what this auditionee was implying. If she didn’t make it in, her apparent cult of a village would find some other way to kill her as they saw fit. She might have felt sorry for her, had she was not already numb to people dying in this way.

 

_“So that’s why I don’t mind if I die in this game! And now, enough about my background. I heard that you may requests talents here, so may I be the Ultimate Painter, or maybe the Artist? I was never quite that good at the arts, but I really do enjoy them!_

 

_You’d do that for me, wouldn’t you?_

 

At her last remark, the auditionee tilted her head and smiled broadly. Shirogane had seen far scarier people audition for _Danganronpa_ , people that could probably crush your skull with their bare hands.

 

The dark-skinned girl looking up at Shirogane through the screen was a different type of scary. The type who could and would willingly force someone to do something that they might not want to just by the type of look she gave you and the tone of her voice. Had it not been for her closing statement, she might not have even gotten in.

 

A second later, her threatening aura had disappeared, leaving as quickly as it had came. The last thing on screen before it went dark was her sunshine smile, which could probably pass off as contagious.

 

Looking down at her notebook, which already had a few notes and concept ideas scrawled in hot pink ~~like _Danganronpa_ blood~~, Shirogane added one more thing.

  
She turned the page to a fresh one, with “ _Cultist_ ” written in large cursive on the bottom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh,, I tried? I rewrote this chapter once or twice since I didn't really like how they turned out initially. This chapter felt off to me, but I kept it because I think the end of the chapter made sense to me, and I also want to start with the next chapter.


	3. Mage

The second auditionee didn’t start right away, and something was…  _ off _ about her. She glared right into the camera, sneered, and spat on the ground before clearing her throat and speaking.

 

_ “What am I fucking supposed to do? Say my number?” _

 

Ah, so that was it. Shirogane needed to polish her character analysis skills. By this girl’s slur, expression, and the way she carried herself, she was likely an alcoholic or drug abuser.. or both.

 

_ “Number 384, my name is XXXX. Sixteen years old.” _

 

_ “For fuck’s sake, shut the hell up. Yes, I’m sixteen, do you need fucking proof? I gave you bastards the audition form, didn’t I? Anyways, I auditioned because I need to win and I need coin.  _

 

_ “My parents kicked me out of the house a year ago, and I’ve made it by pulling tricks on the street. Fucking old bastards think they can try and rough me up in more ways than one, but it’s easy to act like some innocent lolicon bitch. They never see it coming, I’m not as weak as I look.” _

 

Shirogane was almost shocked by the girl’s brutal honesty, but then she remembered that when auditioning for  _ Danganronpa _ , you could not lie. Everyone knew that they had ways of finding you out, or intimidating you into telling the truth, but not even Shirogane knew how they did so. 

 

Therefore, those who wanted to join the killing game knew that they had to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth of why they were joining.

 

_ “Ma and Pops caught me sneaking their alcohol when I was fifteen, and I wouldn’t be caught dead in fucking therapy, so I fought back like any sensible teenager would do and that’s how I ended up the streets. I didn’t particularly care, since then there was nothing and no one to stop me. I’ve tried several illegal substances and escaped fucking greasy old men more times than I can count. _

 

_ “And don’t even  _ try _ to report me, although I know you guys won’t. I’ve heard some shit crazy stories of the stuff that’s gone down in these rooms, way worse shit than this. So I need the money to keep up with living expenses, and to support me while I look for a job. Playing tricks for dealers and pedos only works for so long, your name spreads around the area sooner or later." _

 

Shirogane added a note to her page, already planning character ideas and a talent _. Playing tricks,  _ hm?

 

_ “I’m not a fucking idiot. I know that I need to straighten up or else I’ll be screwed for life. So I want to join this show because it’s a win-win for me. If I get in, I can kill someone or get killed. Either way I die, so it works for me. If I don’t get in, I can make life easier for myself. If I get in and win, I get the dough, and I still make life easier for myself.  _

 

_ “... I think I’m done here, how much time do I have left? Oh, my five minutes is almost up. Have fun with the other auditions.” _

 

If the thin girl ~~probably from lack of nutrition~~ was standing in front of Shirogane, she could have sworn that she would be able to smell the alcohol on her breath. The fact that she was roaming the streets and dodging creeps at her age and with her looks…

  
Well, it was plain to see why she was admitted. There was  _ something _ about her, and Shirogane liked it. This girl was interesting, and she had a certain charm about her. Her smile curled up at the edges and she leafed to a new page as the video fizzed out and ended.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I liked this chapter a bit more. I'd like to write longer chapters, but I'm still trying to get used to updating consistently and managing other things in life. Hopefully by the time I finish this fic I'll be able to write 1k per chapter. Thanks for the kudos and comments!


	4. Bully

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> note: Shirogane's personality is basically the same as it is in the actual game, except for the fact that she thinks the murder/psychological torture/etc that happens in Danganronpa is A-OK. I also headcanon that she normally acts/thinks as she is shown to pre-chapter 6, but she goes into what I call Danganronpa mode (chapter 6 trial) when she's currently fangirling over the series or something like that. However, she's still big on anime/manga/other typical Shirogane stuff (sorry if this doesn't make sense, haha).
> 
> For the record, she's 19 in this fic (which is why she can still participate), and got a job as an intern at age 16.
> 
> I tried to make her close to her canon self, please let me know if she's OOC!

Outside of her, well, extreme passions for  _Danganronpa_  and cosplay, Shirogane really didn't have any hobbies, striking features, or anything that could possibly mark her down as anything but plain.

 

She got plain marks on her exams, her style of dress was plain (she liked to think that her clothing was on the fashionable side, however), and whenever she was required to present in class, she could practically  _feel_ the eyes of other students boring into her, waiting for whatever speech she was giving to be over.

 

Hell, someone had even  _fallen asleep_  once.

 

Shirogane's plain-ness was simply a part of her, and she had learned to deal with it. She loved cosplay because she could be someone that she wasn't, and it had really helped to give her a sense of self when she had gotten into it.

 

A minute into mulling over herself, she snapped back into attention. A few clicks of her mouse and a short burst of static later, the next videos started.

 

_"Number 389, age 19. My name is XXXX._

 

_"I-_

 

_"Hey, shut it, okay? I'm damn aware of the procedure, and it's not like your lousy employees shoved it down our throats several fucking times while we had to wait in line for this dingy audition!"_

 

Shirogane was immediately grateful that she didn't have to administer auditions (the first two were nothing like him!), because she was certain that if she was present she would easily have been cowering under the table by then, and the tall boy downright scowling at her through the screen nearly made her shrink away from her laptop.

 

_No wonder he was picked,_ Shirogane noted.  _His strong personality is the type that every season needs at least one of._ She made a mental note to have Team Danganronpa tone down his apparent anger issues if they kept his current personality.

 

_"Alright, alright, shut up. I'm joining because I want to murder some bitches, obviously! Murder is generally illegal, somehow it's not on this fucking show, and I want in. I always get in deep shit for beating up the puny little punks who think they're better than me, and if you let me on the show, I could get away with that crap. Some people need to know their place, and you bet I'm gonna show it to them! I'm talking about the kinds of people who start from the bottom- they think they can fucking change things, but they can't! I'll show them. I'll get on this show and_ win _._  

 

_"And don't you have your, as the fanbase calls them, 'token buff characters?' I know I'm strong as hell, and if there's one thing I'm sure of, it's the fact that_ I _am what you need for this season. Sure, I wouldn't have as high of a chance of survival and shit, hell if I care. I'm gonna win, so it's not like I have anything to worry about. You can bet your sorry asses that the glorious XXXX will commit the best fucking murder this show has ever seen!"_

 

_He has passion, and he's plainly confident in his ability to survive._ It might have been just because of the fact that she liked the look of her own handwriting, but Shirogane had plenty of notes and ideas inked in her notebook (some pretty ironic ones, she had to admit). To her, the three major factors for making a  _Danganronpa_ character were personality, talent, and design, all of which went together like a puzzle did and were necessary for a complete character. 

 

So far, she only had one of those factors.

 

_"Hey, bitch. Stop scribbling and look at me. I'm talking to you, you know."_

 

_What the heck? Isn't this supposed to be pre-recorded? He's probably talking to the employee interviewing him, but still . . ._

 

_"I'm not stupid, I don't talk big for nothing, got it? I get_ top _marks in my class, and if you so much as make me look like an idiot in the show, you can bet your ass that I'll fucking win and make your shitty_ drag show _look bad doing it._

 

Shirogane would normally have laughed at the 'drag show' jab (there had been more than a few seasons with crossdressing characters) if not for the fact that he was plainly close to being kicked out from what she knew about the auditions. Threatening  _Team Danganronpa_ itself in any way shape or form almost never ended well, and while he hadn't done anything so far, if he kept at it, he might have been at risk for being kicked out of the building. Clearly he wasn't, as he had still gotten in, or else she wouldn't be watching this video. She also concluded a moment later that her thought about the auditionee getting kicked out was highly improbable, as it was not threatening any real harm or violence. She vividly remembered rumors circulating when she had first joined, when preparations for season 50 were beginning, that someone had made a grand threat while auditioning and was banned from the building entirely. Shirogane hadn't been privy to the details.

 

_Team Danganronpa_ had a surprising amount of influence in the world (can you  _imagine_ how many strings they had had to pull to achieve broadcasting murder on live television without serious consequences?) She had assumed that they only had connections in Japan, but after landing a job (she suspected that it was her passion for the show, as it was no joke to work for  _Team Danganronpa_. In reality, they had partners worldwide, and according to some rumors she had heard in the workplace, they were involved with Japan's yakuza.

 

Looking back to the video she had paused after his last comment, her thoughts came back to centering on the task at hand.  _He's plainly right if you look at it from the correct angle, someone with his energy is bound to make the show interesting. If my idea will work after I talk about it with the writers, I can make his character perfectly blend with the themes of the season!_

 

_I just need a talent, he hasn't hinted at anything in that area, and I can't really make a proper design without knowing what he'll be. I don't want to make him anything martial arts-related either, because the buff character doing martial arts is an old and tired trope, I think. They've used it for twenty-one seasons, after all, which is about 40% of the total season count._  

 

Shirogane sighed in frustration, slumped at her desk. She unpaused the video.

 

_". . ."_

 

_"I  only have a minute left? Fine, let me make my intentions clear. I'm in this to fucking kill, and I'm going to be remembered for committing an absolutely amazing murder. Nothing more, nothing less. I_ will _be someone to be feared. If anyone even tries to stop me from winning, they'd better start sleeping with their fucking eyes wide open._

 

_"Know why? 'Cause I'll squash 'em like a bug."_

 

Had this been a cartoon movie, a nice little lightbulb would have popped over Shirogane's right about now. She supposed that she did have an idea for his talent, after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So uh, yeah! Pre-game Gonta's actually pretty intelligent/gets good grades, but he obviously has anger problems and happens to be the 'bully' of his class, hence the chapter title. He's mainly (and unjustly) angry at people who strive to better themselves, which I purposely made contrast to his in-game self.
> 
> Let me know if there's someone you'd like to see next! (Certain characters I'm saving for the end and may not write earlier, apologies in advance.)


End file.
